You know you have solid depth at a position when the projected starter going into August winds up third on the depth chart for the season opener.

Senior Shawn White was the most experienced fullback on the roster and not surprisingly emerged from spring drills as the starter. However, White made the mistake of getting hurt during preseason camp and was surpassed by both Chris High and Myles Swain.

High solidified his status as the starter in the season opener, rushing for 176 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries. The 6-foot, 224-pound junior showed no jitters in his first career start while averaging a whopping 17.6 yards per attempt.

"I think we saw what we hoped we were going to see. Chris performed at a high level during camp. Seeing him go out and perform the way he did in a game was very exciting for the offensive staff. Hopefully, he continues to do that moving forward," Navy fullbacks coach Mike Judge said.

White flashed his ability in cameo appearances the previous three seasons. As a plebe, the 6-foot-1, 255-pounder authored a highlight reel run against South Alabama, carrying at least six defenders into the end zone and crossing the goal line while backpedaling.

Bill Wagner and Dave Broughton discuss this Saturday's home game against UConn.

Bill Wagner and Dave Broughton discuss this Saturday's home game against UConn.

White showed as a sophomore that he could contribute on special teams, making four tackles as part of coverage units. The Florida native was third on the depth chart behind starter Chris Swain and backup Quentin Ezell as a junior and amassed 84 rushing yards on 19 carries.

"Shawn is 255 pounds and moves as well as some of the smaller fullbacks we've had in the past," Judge said. "He has great feet, is very intelligent and a real physical presence. He brings a lot of things to the table. He just needs to apply himself and perform at a consistent level."

White is surprisingly nimble for a man his size and like a bowling ball once he gets going, very difficult for one tackler to bring down. Judge was expecting big things from White this season, but an ankle injury suffered one week into training camp was a setback. He missed two weeks of practice and was limited for a few more days after returning.

Bill Wagner and Dave Broughton discuss last Saturday's game against Fordham and starting Quarterback Tago Smith's season ending injury.

Bill Wagner and Dave Broughton discuss last Saturday's game against Fordham and starting Quarterback Tago Smith's season ending injury.

"Everything has to be earned. When Shawn came back, Chris had earned the opportunity to take the No. 1 reps," Judge said. "Chris hasn't done anything to give it up, and to be honest Shawn hasn't done anything to earn it back."

High came into this season with just five career carries, having played on the junior varsity as a plebe then seeing very minimal action as the fourth stringer as a sophomore. However, the Oklahoma City native impressed the coaching staff in practice in 2014 and 2015, breaking off several long runs.

"When Shawn went down, I thought it was my time to step up and take on part of the load, just do my part," said High, who did not hesitate when asked how he's improved since last year. "I would definitely say confidence, just being confident in my plays and knowing what I need to do at all times."

High was a traditional I-formation tailback at Douglass High, where he was named the top runner in Class 4A and earned first team All-City honors. Playing fullback at Navy is dramatically different as the runner lines up five yards behind center, about half as deep in the backfield as a typical tailback.

"I would say the hardest part of playing fullback in our offense is that as soon as the play is started, you're at the line of scrimmage. You don't have time to think," High said.

Another adjustment involves the option portion of the attack as the quarterback decides whether or not the fullback gets the ball based off reading certain defensive keys.

"In high school, it was 'Chris, you're getting the ball.' Now it's 'I want you to run through the mesh and I don't want you to clamp on the ball because it might be a pull.' You need to have that selfless attitude and always run hard through the mesh without always expecting the ball."

Judge said it didn't take long to see that High had the size, strength and athletic ability to be an outstanding fullback in Navy's triple-option offense. However, it took a few years for the youngster to fully understand the intricate system and to develop the vision necessary to find holes while moving full-speed ahead on the dive.

"Chris has come a long way in a short period of time in terms of his overall knowledge of the offense. He's done a good job mentally in the classroom of getting himself up to speed with what we're aking him to do in the offense. Watching his development through spring ball and fall camp has been exciting," Judge said. "As a freshman and a sophomore he was swimming in there, just trying to keep up and go in the right direction. Now he understands the details, understands where he fits in the schemes, understands where defenders are supposed to be coming from so he can anticipate cuts.

Judge hinted during the week prior to the opener that High has the wheels to go the distance if he breaks into the clear. That certainly was the case when High got loose for a 70-yard touchdown run in the third quarter as he outran several chasing defenders.

"Hopefully, we can get Chris into space and he can showcase his speed a bit. He is a little quicker and has more long speed than guys like Quentin Ezell and Shawn White," Judge said last week. "Hopefully, if we get him in space, he'll be able to finish runs like Noah Copeland and Chris Swain did."

Judge repeatedly praised the intensity and motor of High, who is an outgoing sort with an infectious smile.

"Chris is a high energy kid whose effort level is outstanding. He's going to play 100 miles per hour, which is what we're looking for," Judge said. "If everyone on the field played as hard as Chris High does on every snap, we'd be a really good offense."

Swain, whose older brother was cut by the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 3, saw his first varsity action against Fordham and scored a 4-yard touchdown on his first career carry.

"Myles took advantage of the opportunity he got when Shawn was hurt and has continued to develop. He's playing at a really high level and I'm really happy with where he's at," Judge said. "Myles has kind of come into his own and is playing really good football right now."

Judge said the attributes that initially made White the starter remain in place and is sure he'll be heard from before the season is through.

"You haven't seen the last of Shawn. In the week leading up to the game when he was fully healthy, we saw him practice a little harder, a little better, show a little more attention to detail," Judge said. "As the season goes along, you'll see more and more of Shawn White. I think we have three guys we can all trust and can get the job done for us."